Rinse-off hair care compositions typically comprise one or more surfactants for cleansing purposes and one or more conditioning agents, so as to provide a combination of cleansing and conditioning to the hair. Typically, these conditioning agents are water-insoluble oily materials, cationic polymers or cationic surfactants.
A problem associated with such rinse-off hair care compositions is that for many consumers they do not provide a sufficient level of “wet” sensory benefits, such as improved hair feel during washing.
The present inventors have found that a combination of certain water-soluble nonionic polymers improves wet sensory benefits significantly when they are incorporated into rinse-off hair care compositions such as shampoos. Compositions of the invention also show a surprising improvement in ease of rinsing.
Water-soluble nonionic polymers have been described for example in WO99/44568, which relates to the use of water-soluble nonionic polyethyleneoxide homopolymers to increase hair body and fullness when formulated in a high pH medium and applied to fine hair. The described polymers have molecular weights ranging from 100,000 (PEG-2M) to 5,000,000 (PEG-115M), preferably 300,000 (PEG-7M). They are said to deposit under the hair cuticle and provide it with more surface roughness and texture.
WO95/20939 describes thickened cream rinse emulsions formed from a combination of fatty alcohol with polyethyleneoxide homopolymers of molecular weight ranging from 100,000 (PEG-2M) up to 600,000 (PEG-14M). The compositions are said inter alia to enhance glossiness of the hair and provide dry combing benefits.
JP 95015116 describes a detergent composition having high washing and foaming power containing surfactant and 0.1 to 2 wt % hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.
JP 94055656 describes a hair cosmetic, such as a conditioner or rinse, containing quaternary ammonium salt, oil and nonionic cellulose ether derivative. The composition has a smoothing and softening effect on hair.
EP 0 191 564 describes a shampoo composition comprising a fatty acid ester of sucrose and a nonionic cellulose ether derivative such as hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and methylcellulose. The composition provides creamy foam and improves hair “flyaway”.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,569 describes optically clear shampoo compositions containing aminofunctional silicone microemulsions and a thickener which can be a cellulose derivative such as methylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, or hydroxypropylcellulose.
WO98/31327 describes nonionic water-soluble polymers such as cellulose ethers in the form of a separate phase of aqueous polymer droplets suspended in an aqueous surfactant phase, for improved hair and skin conditioning and clean feel.